The Lost Scrolls
by timewaster123456789
Summary: You know the drill. Unconnected oneshots, various characters, pairings, styles, nothing explicit unless otherwise stated.
1. 25 proof

**A/n: I own nothing. A birthday gift for my packmate SalazarMarvolo. My apologies this was meant to be citrified by Sesh and Iruka would _not, _cooperate I would qualify it as preslash. I tried something new here so Iruka's rambling, the disjointed conversation and weird segues is by design.**

**Warnings: Drinking, language and intentional OOC.**

* * *

The night after the third Hokage's funeral, Kakashi walked into Ginko's and was surprised to find Iruka in the small restaurant-bar.

"This isn't your usual haunt," he observed.

"Nah yerz either," the Chunin replied.

"You're drunk," the flat tone hid surprise.

"Ah b'lieve the tik...proper word is wasted."

Kakashi shrugged, "Fair enough."

He sat on the stool next to the Chunin and ordered a dish of sake, a slight breach of his anbu honed paranoia and self-control. A small sign of the hole the old man had left,

"Don't give me tha' look!" Iruka snapped and threw down another glass.

"What?" Kakashi asked. He doubted it was a rabbit hole he wanted to go down but at the same time intrigued, Iruka so rarely raised his voice. Actually everything about his behavior was a red flag tonight.

"The oh lookit poor sensitive Iruka, can' handle ninja life, whadda disgrace," Iruka sneered. Oookay.

"Uh Iruka it isn't like that..."

"You know who elza diskrace? Eh? Jiraiya. Yeah you heard me, Jiraiya the badass legendary ninja was fucking sobbing his eyes out in the forest. So don't give me an' of your ninja code rule 25 bullshit."

Kakashi filed that away, not that it really surprised him, Jiraiya _had_ been the Hokage's protégé. He was more concerned that Jiraiya had been 'caught', he must have been seriously distracted to allow that. He made a note to keep an eye on him, tried to remember that Iruka was falling down drunk and not _trying_ to be an unrepentant ass.

"You just look like you might want company and..." Kakashi gestured shrugging.

Iruka sighed but didn't argue.

"You remember that time Asuma and the guys tried to set the sludge trap for him?" Kakashi asked referencing the fallen Hokage.

Iruka smiled slightly. "I remember them puking sludge for three days straight. He was always _vicious_ when it came to retaliation," he said, his voice catching a little.

Kakashi nodded with a smile

"I also remember him tellin' me specifi'ly to look out for Naruto. He was compassionate above all his skill an' power," Iruka continued.

Kakashi forced a laugh "None of that now I'm not drunk enough."

Iruka looked stricken, "But I...want to...remember the...good times." he said tears threatened to fall and his chin quivered. Kakashi tried not to sigh...this was going downhill and all he'd wanted was to dull the edge a bit.

"Jiraiya knew him better, you'd have better luck with him," Kakashi offered.

"I tried to talk to him. Jiraiya said he'd 'tear my arm off and beat me with it if it's about the Hokage.'

"Well then, maybe not," Kakashi said ordering a second dish because this was going to be a long night and losing the Hokage hurt goddamnit. Those on watch that night were off the next day for that reason.

"Most people think him a fool."

"Most people see what he wants them to...well that and he's a fool but aren't we all?"

"You more than most," Iruka said quietly. Kakashi was taken aback, that didn't sound like drunk raving.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on! The only time I've ever seen you drink before is on _that_ day."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "You've been spying on me"

"I've been worried," he said drunkenly truthful.

"I don't drink _that_ much,"

"You did one night, so I followed you home."

Kakashi suppressed a shudder,_ that_ was a disturbing thought he should have been more careful.

"I saw you. _You _who acts like every moment...this isn't a battlefield," Iruka whispered.

Kakashi shook his head suddenly too choked up to speak.

"Why? According ta' the code yer all great ninjas, far better than me. _You _act like you don't give a damn, Jiraiya is a legend without peer except for the Hokage, laughing and joking in the face o' death. Yer the types we're all s'pozed to copy, heh get it '_copy'?" _he joked bitterly.

_"_Yet _you_ have to get blind drunk just so you can fall apart and he has to hide in the forest like a damn brigand? Is this not what a damn _funeral_ is for? Why do we all feel bound to hold it together when the time is _designated_ for mourning?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Because our comrades are around and because it's rather difficult to follow rule 25 if you lose yourself every time you step off the battlefield."

"Really? I'd think it'd make it easier."

Kakashi shook his head, "Habit makes it easier, besides," he downed a third dish damn he was really indulging tonight. "The Hokage wouldn't want us shedding tears for him."

Iruka remembered the Hokage hugging him after his breakdown ten years before. Tears began to spill from his eyes.

"Iruka?" Kakashi asked.

"It's...I'm...shit." his shoulders were shaking now that he'd started and he fought to control his breathing.

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder awkwardly and looked around as though someone would jump up to save him from the situation.

"Uh it's alright," he tried, patting the shoulder when no rescue seemed forthcoming.

Red, wet eyes filled with anger raised to his, "The hell it is. He's dead. Accept it."

"I have. It seems you're the one having difficulty," he realized half a second before instinctively blocking a wild punch that what he'd meant as a simple statement of fact probably sounded aggressive.

"I didn't mean it like that I…" Kakashi defended himself but made no effort to retaliate against his distraught comrade.

"Take it outside," the burly bouncer called though everyone knew that for Kakashi it was more suggestion than order.

With a sigh he locked Iruka's arm behind the Chunin's back and took him out. He let go and Iruka turned and threw another punch. Kakashi caught it and the fight drained from the younger man. Iruka collapsed against him sobbing.

_Well shit, _for lack of anything better to do and with no sign of that rescue coming, he loosely embraced the ninja.

Iruka straightened, tears still on his face, "It doesn't have to be this way. "

"It would be worse otherwise."

Iruka drew a shuddering breath, "You're a liar."

Kakashi just stared Ninja's did tend to be, but he had no idea what Iruka was referring to in this case.

"Two reason," Iruka continued as though Kakashi had asked the obvious question. "One you're still here, letting me com…" he gave a sharp gasp, "completely lose it and not just tolerating it but actually trying to help. You suck at it by the way."

Kakashi snorted and Iruka gave a tremulous smile, "And the other reason?"

"The weather's amazing tonight."

_What? _Exactly how drunk _was_ the man?

"Yet your mask is damp."


	2. Good Kid

**A/n: A gift for Salazar Marvolo's birthday to make up for my horrendous earlier attempt. I own nothing. Please check out her works especially if you like bleach and don't forget to review she deserves them.**

**Four times Iruka and Kakashi argued about Naruto and one time they agreed**

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**I**

"You're just going to fail him!" Iruka roared.

"If he doesn't pass," Kakashi replied as though speaking to someone slow.

"And you know full well that no one ever passes your sadistic test," Iruka snarled.

Kakashi shrugged.

"I just want him to have a fair shot!"

A fair shot at what? Dying? Watching his friends die? Kakashi wondered bitterly.

Aloud he said, "He'll get the same chance everyone does."

"Everyone _you _train which is to say no chance at all."

Kakashi shrugged again, "That _is_ fair after all."

Iruka was sure a smirk lurked under that damn mask and wished that he was powerful enough to beat it off the ANBU's face.

"He's just a kid! You expect too much."

"Exactly," Kakashi said keeping the sigh out of his voice with difficulty.

Iruka turned his back on the older man and stalked away, knowing that there was little else he could do.

**II**

"What the hell were you thinking?" Iruka snapped as the battered Anbu walked by, recently returned from the Land of Waves mission.

"Sometimes things turn out that way. If you still remembered what it's like in the field you'd know that."

"That was at least a B. You're lucky any of them got out alive!"

"No I'm _good_. _They_ were good," a hint of pride entered his voice.

Iruka snorted in disgust, "So that's it? Just another feather in your cap never mind that three _children _almost died?"

"Under-ranked missions _ do_ happen. Beyond that, they _are_ children and yet you were singing a different tune when it came to passing them," Kakashi replied his voice growing heated, "Be glad that you were right."

"And you don't care that you almost got them killed," Iruka was obviously trying to be angry, but sounded like he was about to cry.

Kakashi turned away, embarrassed for him but Iruka grabbed his shoulder, "Don't walk away from me!"

"Collect yourself Chunin."

"Col…go to hell! " he stormed off.

Kakashi let him go. He understood the mess of emotions Iruka must be feeling, the fear and relief and the cold hard reality check that was realizing that it might not be this mission, but it would be another. He could let the man grieve in private. He wouldn't have denied that to anyone…not even Zabuza had he been able to shut Naruto up.

He sighed, he could admit to himself that the close call had shaken him, but it was over and far past time to move on.

**III**

"Why are you letting them do this?"

"I'm not _letting _anything happen, it's over my head, besides he screwed up, even he knows that."

"You could speak in his defense."

"He killed a civilian."

"Who he thought was an enemy and he already feels bad enough. You know that. What is this supposed to prove?"

Kakashi did know that, had seen it in Naruto's haunted, tear filled eyes.

"Even ninja's have to face justice."

"You know that Naruto isn't evil. They're just doing this because of the nine-tails."

"He may not be evil, but he did an evil thing and he needs to pay the price. For his own sake as much as the village and the nation's."

"It's revenge for revenge's sake."

"I don't agree, but even if you're right is that not our business?"

"Our business is to protect the nation."

"And policing our own helps us do that."

**IV**

"He's going to need some time."

"What he needs is to get back in the field."

"Just because that's what you'd need, doesn't mean it's a good idea for him. All he can think about right now is revenge."

"And he needs somewhere to direct that energy."

"Not in combat. He'll be distracted."

"He can handle it. He's more resilient than you think."

"He _wants _you to think that. He's proud. It's your job to show him he doesn't have to be strong."

"He does. This isn't the last time he'll lose a comrade. He has to learn how to deal with it in a healthy manner."

"Yes, by mourning."

"No by turning his energy to something productive. We live and die for this village, he must learn to operate within that framework. Perhaps you should too."

Iruka gave up and punched a nearby tree as he walked away. Kakashi sighed sadly.

**V**

Iruka walked into the hospital room and froze when he saw Kakashi.

"You came to say 'told you so"?" Kakashi asked. He sounded tired, slumped in the bedside chair, bags under his eyes, he looked like he hadn't slept in days, he looked old. The words of anger and pain on the tip of Iruka's tongue fell away.

"No I was just visiting."

Kakashi looked up and nodded. Iruka shifted self-consciously, knowing that it was probably obvious to the perceptive ANBU that he'd been crying.

"They say they'll know by tomorrow if he'll pull through," Kakashi said monotone.

"He _will!" _Iruka replied sharply, "He's tough."

"Yeah he is."

Silence fell and Iruka drew a shaky breath, licking his lips to keep them from quivering.

"He's a good ninja," Iruka whispered, expecting an argument.

"He has more heart than anyone else I've trained," Kakashi replied to Iruka's surprise.

"He's a…" Iruka's voice cracked and he swallowed, "He's a good kid."

"Yeah he is," Kakashi replied tightly and rose.

"Excuse me I seem to have missed lunch."

With that, the flippant ninja left the room.

Iruka clasped Naruto's hand, "Please make it. Please," he begged shakily.


End file.
